Machine for producing of buckles, buttons or the like

ABSTRACT

A machine for the manufacture of buckles, buttons or the like which comprises an upper tool and a lower tool. The lower tool has an outer, spring-mounted frame and an inner core piece displaceable vertically with respect to the surrounding frame. The lower tool is adapted to support the assembled button after the opening stroke of the upper tool. A device is provided for lifting the core piece of the lower tool relative to the surrounding frame up to about the height of a transversely directed stream of blast air serving for discharging the product from the lower tool.

time States tent 1 1 1111 398639527 Berning Feb. 4, 1975 MACHINE FOR PRODUCING 0F BUCKLES, 3,548,689 12/1970 Newig 79/5 BUTTONS OR THE LIKE 3,643,530 2/1972 Roebuck 79/5 Inventor: Rudolf Berning, Schwelm, Germany Firma Astor-Werlr Otto Berning & (10., Schwelm/Westfalen, Germany Filed: Aug. 30, 1973 Appl. No.: 392,870

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 30, 1972 Germany 2258649 U.S. (I1. 79/5 llnt. Cl A44b 1/06 Field of Search 79/4, 5

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1915 Lopez et al 79/4 5/1969 Chalfin et al. 79/5 7 Primary ExaminerGranville Y. Custer, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ernest G. Montague; Karl F. Ross; Herbert Dubno [57] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures MACHINE FOR PRODUCING F BUCKLES, BUTTONS OR THE LIKE The present invention relates to a machine for the manufacture of buckles, buttons or the like the machine or apparatus having a top tool and a bottom tool, the latter having an outer, spring-mounted frame and an inner core piece which is vertically displaceable with respect to the surrounding frame, the assembled button lying in the bottom tool after the opening stroke of the upper tool.

In such machines, after the manufacture of the button, the problem arises of removing the button from the lower tool. Depending on the shape of this lower tool, this removal can be effected only by means of an auxiliary tool. As a result, the length of the time required for manufacture of an individual button increases, which is of substantial importance when large numbers of pieces are to be produced.

It is an object of the present invention to increase the output of a machine ofthis type by increasing the speed of discharge and the completed or assembled button from the lower tool.

According to the present invention, there is provided a machine for the manufacture of buckles, buttons or the like which comprises an upper tool and a lower tool, the lower tool having an outer spring-mounted frame and an inner core piece which is displaceable vertically with respect to the surrounding frame.

The removal of the assemblying button from the lower tool can thus be effected very rapidly and gently. Auxiliary tools are no longer required. After the completion of the stamping, the assembled button is lifted in a stream of blast air by relative displacement of the core piece which supports the assembled button with respect to its surrounding frame. By this lift, the assembled button together with its circumferential edge comes out of the clamped position with respect to the surrounding frame, so that the stream of blast air moves the button, for instance, into a receiving container which is provided. It has been found that this emptying of the lower tool in accordance with the present invention considerably shortens the duration of manufacture of an individual button. This results in considerable savings in work time upon the manufacture of large quantities of assembled buttons. The afore-mentioned relative displacement between the core piece of the lower tool and its surrounding frame can be effected by control of the core piece.

The drive means for the relative displacement of these two parts can be arranged below the table plate of the machine so that, less weight needs be moved. Preferably the vertical displacement of the core piece is effected via a pneumatic drive device. This makes it possible to divert the drive air for the blast-air nozzle from the reciprocating cylinder for the control of the core piece. The construction is considerably considerably simplified, since the reciprocating cylinder of the pneumatic drive device and the blast-air nozzle can be connected via a valve. Furthermore, a given sequence of vertical control of the core piece and feeding of blast air can be ensured. After the vertical movement of the core piece ofthe lower tool, the assembled button then lies above the plane of the table plate and thus in the region of the blast-air nozzle which can easily blow the assembled button from this location out of the lower tool. Thereupon the core piece of the lower tool, by

spring action, automatically drops back into the starting position in which it can be loaded again, for instance, with a holding part. If this holding part has a holding shaft, lug or the like of a length which would impair the emptying of the lower tool by a stream of blast air, this emptying can also be effected by actuation of the handle. This means that the removal of the completed assembled button is possible even in the case of failure of the blast-air nozzle. The blast-air nozzle is so arranged that it does not impair the replacement of the lower tool. Upon the exchange of the lower tool for another one. the blast-air nozzle can be swung parallel to the plane of the table plate so as to permit the unimpeded removal of the lower tool and the insertion of a new one.

These and other objects will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, partially in cross section;

- FIG. 2 is a cross-sectionally view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Ill-III of FIG. 1, with the holding part of the button to be assembled inserted in the lower tool;

FIG. 4 is a cross section, on a. larger scale, corresponding to FIG. 3 but with the upper tool in its lowered position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but with the core piece of the lower tool in its upper position;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the device as seen in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 5.

The machine has a housing 1, in which the vertically displaceable ram 2 is guided. Reciprocation is imparted to this ram 2 by a rocker arm 3.

At its lower end the ram 2 bears a bridge 4 which receives two upper tools 5 of the same shape. In FIG. 1 the bridge 4 is in an intermediate position permitting the loading of the lower tools 6, 7. The upper part of the button (not shown) and the buttoncovering material is inserted in the lower tool 6, while the buttonholding part 8 is inserted in the lower tool 7.

A bracket 11 extending below the table top 10 serves to receive the lower tools 6, 7. The surrounding frames 12, 13 of the two lower tools 6, 7 are acted on by compression springs l4, 15 so that an upper collar 12' and 13', respectively, of the surrounding frames 12, 13

passes through a corresponding opening 9 in the'table top 10. This position is limited by abutment of a corresponding annular shoulder 16, 17 on the surrounding frame l2, 13 against the underside of the table 10.

While the lower tool 6 serves for the loading of the upper tools 5, the assemblying button. 18 is produced in the lower tool 7 with a filled upper tool 5. Since two upper tools and two lower tools are provided, during one stroke of the ram 2, a upper tool can be loaded by the lower tool 6 and an button simultaneously assembled by the lower tool 7 and the other upper tool 5.

Upon the loading of the upper tool 5, the latter is retained by pawls 19 and a central cam 20. The lower tool 7 is described in detail below, since the completely assembled button 18 is to be removed from it.

The core piece 21 of this lower tool 7 has a pin 23 which extends into a sleeve 22. To form a bayonet connection therewith. The sleeve 22 is supported in a vertically directed bore 24 in the bracket 11. The core piece 21 rests on an outward directed rim 25 on the end of this sleeve 22; rim 25 in turn rests on the top of the bracket 11. Diametrically opposite compression springs 45 which are seated at one end against the bracket 11 and at the other end against an annular collar 26 of the sleeve 22 yieldably maintain this stop position of the sleeve.

A spring-actuated plunger 27 is supported for longitudinal displacement in the sleeve 22, the plunger acting on the pin 23 of the core piece 21 and holding it in its bayonet lock.

The collar 26 of the sleeve forms two protruding wings 28. Two swing levers connected in formlocked fashion with the shaft 29 are associated with the wings. Between said swing levers 30 there is provided on the shaft 29 a lever 31 whose free end lies in front of the piston rod 32 of a reciprocating cylinder 33.

A compressed-air line 34 (FIG. 2) branches off from the feedline for the reciprocating cylinder 33. This compressed-air line leads to the blast-air nozzle 35. The blast-air nozzle 35 has a finger 36 and is supported around the collar 37 of a screw 38 whose threaded shaft 39 extends into a holding angle piece 40. The latter is seated on the bracket 11 and serves for the connection of the compressed-air line 34.

The blast air can be fed via the line 34 to the finger 36 and emerges through its nozzles 36.

Upon the compression stroke of the ram 2, the surrounding frame 13 of the lower tool 7 and the surrounding frame 41 of the upper tool and the core piece 42 thereof assume the position shown .in FIG. 4, whereby the holding part 8, the top part of the button and the button-covering cloth are combined to form the assembled button 18. When the ram 2 then moves back into its starting position shown in FIG. 1, the reciprocating cylinder 33 receives a supply of compressed air by a valve mechanism (not shown), the air displacing the piston rod 32. The piston rod 32 strikes the lever 31 and swings it so that the swing levers 30 strike against the lateral projections 28 of the collar 26 of the sleeve 22 and move the latter together with the core piece 21 into a raised position. This raising motion is terminated when the collar 26 of the sleeve 22 strikes against the bottom 11 of the bracket 11. Simultaneously with this process, the surrounding frame 13 has been moved by the compression spring 15 into the position shown in FIG. 5. In this position, the assembled button 18, which has been lifted by the raised core piece 21, extends above the surrounding frame 13 of the'lower tool 7.

The compressed-air nozzle 35 is simultaneously supplied with compressed air which impinges from the nozzles 36' in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6 against the assembled button 18 and throws it from its raised position into, for instance, a receiving container.

After the lower tool 7 has been discharged, the supply of the compressed air is interrupted so that the compression springs 45 which act on the sleeve 22 bring the sleeve back into its initial position and thus bring the core piece 21 back into its initial position. Thereupon the lower tool 7 can again be charged by a holding part 8.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the holding part 8 has an annular lug 8. If the holding part 8, however, is provided with some other fastening part, for instance in the form of a lengthy shaft, which would then interfere with the emptying of the lower tool by the blast-air nozzle 35, the upward movement of the core piece 21 of the lower tool can be effected by a manual lever 43 associated with the shaft 29, so that the assembled button can be removed by hand. This is true also if the blast-air nozzle 35 should fail.

The upper side of the table top 10 is aligned with the corresponding upper side of the machine table 44. In order to be able to replace the lower tools 6, 7 by others, this table top 10 can be removed. For this purpose the finger 36 is swung around the collar 37 of the screw 38.

I claim: 1. An apparatus for assemblying a button, comprising:

a housing; an upper tool mounted on said housing and displaceable thereon; a lower tool on said housing confronting said upper tool and adapted to receive a portion of a button to be formed in said tools, said lower tool including an outer frame member, spring means supporting said frame member for at least limited movement relative to said housing, said frame member being provided with an outer shoulder, and

a core piece received in said frame member and displaceable relatively thereto to lift a button from said frame member;

a pneumatic actuator on said housing for displacing said core piece to lift a button from said frame member;

a table removably mounted on said housing and having an opening receiving said frame member and engageable by said shoulder; and

an air-jet nozzle swingably mounted on said housing and normally overhanging said table and angularly displaced to clear said table for removable thereof, said nozzle training a jet of air against a button lifted from said frame member.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising means communicating between said pneumatic actuator and said nozzle for diverting a portion of the air feed to said actuator to said nozzle.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising another spring yieldably supporting said core piece in said housing.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising a hand-operatable lever operatively connected to said core piece for lifting same. 

1. An apparatus for assemblying a button, comprising: a housing; an upper tool mounted on said housing and displaceable thereon; a lower tool on said housing confronting said upper tool and adapted to receive a portion of a button to be formed in said tools, said lower tool including an outer frame member, spring means supporting said frame member for at least limited movement relative to said housing, said frame member being provided with an outer shoulder, and a core piece received in said frame member and displaceable relatively thereto to lift a button from said frame member; a pneumatic actuator on said housing for displacing said core piece to lift a button from said frame member; a table removably mounted on said housing and having an opening receiving said frame member and engageable by said shoulder; and an air-jet nozzle swingably mounted on said housing and normally overhanging said table and angularly displaced to clear said table for removable thereof, said nozzle training a jet of air against a button lifted from said frame member.
 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising means communicating between said pneumatic actuator and said nozzle for diverting a portion of the air feed to said actuator to said nozzle.
 3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising another spring yieldably supporting said core piece in said housing.
 4. The apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising a hand-operatable lever operatively connected to said core piece for lifting same. 